Deseret News
- When Cardi B, Utah and porn meet in a tweet – The hip-hop artist Cardi B either just made a case for mandatory religion studies or why celebrities can be some of the least credible voices on cultural change. Probably both.
- Should Rep. Chris Stewart have Sen. Mitt Romney’s back? – Stewart said it’s not his job to defend Romney or any other elected official in the state.
- Vaccinations ‘protect health and preserve life,’ Latter-day Saint handbook update says – The current First Presidency has modeled its position in recent weeks. The three members of the church’s leading body received COVID-19 vaccine shots on Jan. 19. “We have prayed often for this literal godsend,” President Russell M. Nelson said
- Utah among 13 states suing Biden administration over COVID-19 relief ban on tax cuts – The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Alabama seeks to strike down the provision in the massive relief package signed by Biden that bars states from using $195 billion of federal aid “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction” in net tax revenue.
- Salt Lake County launches effort to help more local businesses survive the pandemic – Salt Lake County is launching the Economic Inclusion Community Assistance Program aimed at mitigating the K-shaped economic recovery resulting from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Children’s COVID-19 vaccine trial results ‘great news,’ Utah doctor says – Pfizer’s announcement Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in 12- to 15-year-olds was hailed as “nothing short of great news for children and for controlling the epidemic” by a University of Utah Health pediatric infectious diseases specialist.
- Vaccine passports could come soon. Here’s how they’d work – The passports would “display a scannable code similar to an airline boarding pass. Americans without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the passport is “Biden’s Mark of the Beast”
Salt Lake Tribune
- Robert Gehrke: How Salt Lake County Republicans failed women within their ranks – We can’t have a climate conducive to elevating women to leadership — whether in politics or the boardroom — if they are simultaneously being subjected to an abusive environment lacking the structural supports and safeguards to prevent boorish behavior and punish the perpetrators.
- Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson blasts Utah County Commission for power grab – Henderson says calls the move ‘insane’ and an inappropriate consolidation of power.
- Want a digital driver license? Utah begins a pilot project to explore the idea – The Driver License Division says mobile identification cards could be more convenient and offer Utahns more privacy.
- Court hearing for ‘Real Housewives’ star delayed after too many joined the videoconference – Reality TV personality Jen Shah couldn’t connect remotely with a hearing in New York City.
- This tourist town has come up with a creative way to marshal compliance with a COVID-19 mask mandate – Charm and humor are viewed as better ways to persuade than tough enforcement.
- Watch: Salt Lake City mayor says there’s a need for a new shelter in Utah as street camping population grows – Without a “greater investment” in diversion, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said that demand for homeless services will likely only grow amid population growth.
- Rep. Chris Stewart complains Democrats in Washington are freezing out Republicans – The Utah congressman also warned against massive government spending and social media censorship.
Other
- Utah County commissioners vote to assume all budgeting power despite Lt. Gov’s criticism (KUTV) – “The commissioners making this move will have the ability to build the budget, vote on the budget, and execute the budget with no oversight at all,” Amelia Powers Gardner, the current county clerk/auditor said.
- Interior secretary to visit Utah next week as part of national monuments review (KUTV) – “She will travel to Utah to meet with stakeholders, Tribes, and elected leaders as part of the national monuments review outlined in Executive Order 14008.”
- Salt Lake County plans to reopen seniors centers in April for first time in 1 year (KSL-TV) – The county’s 20 senior centers scattered across the county will reopen April 19 after they were closed on March 13, 2020, amid concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Why Utah pediatrician says COVID-19 vaccine for children is ‘really important news’ (KSL-TV) – “It’s important news for three reasons at least: the first is that it protects children — that’s the most important reason.”
COVID Corner
- Number of new COVID-19 cases in Utah climbs back above 500 (Salt Lake Tribune) – The state also reported four more deaths and almost half a million people fully vaccinated.
- The COVID-19 vaccine side effects you can expect based on your age, sex, and dose (Business Insider) – Women and younger adults tend to have more side effects than men or older adults do and side effects are generally more pronounced after the second dose than the first.
- Pfizer/BioNTech says its Covid-19 vaccine is 100% effective and well tolerated in adolescents (CNN) – In a Phase 3 trial of 2,260 participants ages 12 to 15 in the US, the vaccine elicited strong antibody responses one month after the second dose — exceeding those demonstrated in people ages 16 to 25 in previous trials.
- Factory Mix-Up Ruins Up to 15 Million Vaccine Doses From Johnson & Johnson (The New York Times) – A manufacturing subcontractor in Baltimore mixed ingredients from the coronavirus vaccines of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, setting back U.S. production of the “one-and-done” shot.
- CDC provides Easter coronavirus guidance, says fully vaccinated people can gather without masks (FOX News) – “Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this winter. If you do gather with people who don’t live with you, gatherings and activities held outdoors are safer than indoor gathering.”
- Covid-19 led to a global increase in stillbirths, maternal mortality, and depression, review finds (CNN) – Stillbirths and maternal deaths increased by nearly a third.
- Here are a few ways to keep your COVID-19 vaccination card safe (Press Democrat) – The CDC recommends taking a photo of the card as a backup copy, enroll in v-safe, or laminate the card after your second dose.
- Experts Warn Failure to Rapidly ‘Vaccinate the World’ Creates Dangerous Opening for Covid-19 Mutations (Common Dreams) – “We need a people’s vaccine, not only to protect people in the world’s poorest countries, but to ensure that people all over the world who’ve already been vaccinated aren’t put at risk again.”
- Vaccine enthusiasm continues to rise among US adults, poll shows (The Hill) – “Enthusiasm for getting the COVID-19 vaccine continues to grow among people across racial and ethnic backgrounds, with the largest increase this month among Black adults,” the Kaiser Family Foundation stated in its report.
- This new COVID Symptom Study app lets you track your symptoms and share details with researchers (Deseret News) – “This COVID Symptoms Study app does allow people to basically input on a regular basis what symptoms you’re experiencing, so this has allowed us to understand what proportion of people are really starting to report these long-term symptoms that we think are Long COVID.”
- In Washington, 102 fully vaccinated people tested positive for COVID-19. Officials share why that’s not too alarming (Deseret News) – The health department said these were examples of “vaccine breakthrough,” which can happen with any vaccine. This is where the virus finds a way to evade the vaccine.